MNDA Charity Challenge

Hi everyone,


My name is Ben Schiffer-Harte, I'm 29 years old and am fundraising for the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of Bill Cooley who is grandfather to my girlfriend Jo.

 

'A respected and popular former Royal Borough mayor from Eton Wick, Farmer Bill Cooley died  on New Year's Day.... He represented the interests of villagers in Eton Wick on the Eton West ward on the council for more than 30 years and stood as mayor of the borough in 1987/88.... He is survived by his wife Joan, twin daughters Barbara and Susan, his youngest daughter Margaret, 50, and five grandchildren.' 

(Written by Justin Burns from the Windsor and Eton Express)

 


I decided a few months ago that I should raise money for this wonderful cause because it is relatively still unknown to the masses and not one that makes the headlines especially not to the same levels as other leading charities. Being a runner and having previously raise money through the use of my legs I knew what to do but not how to go about it.

 

Jo suggested I join a local club called Burnham Joggers which I promptly did and 5 weeks on am a fully fledged member taking part in social runs Tuesday and Thursday's. Being fast paced I am with the long distance group often doing up to 14k a night. We meet at Burnham Cricket Club and I enjoy it because I am no longer just running on my own and have similar minded people to talk to.


The Great Ireland 10k held in Dublin on 14th April was my first race in which I posted a time of 41:26. This was my first recorded 10k in a few years and I was pleased with this result. The medal was nice and you got a t-shirt as well. It was held in Phoenix Park to the West of Dublin and Jo and I visited Ireland for 5 days to do a spot of sight-seeing as well.


My last race in the challenge is hopefully going to be the London Marathon on 13th April but I have to await results of the ballot.


Next week on Bank Holiday Monday I will be running 5 miles as part of the Club Championships and each position scores the corresponding point so 1st=1 pt 2nd =2pts and so on. There are 14 to chose from throughout the year and I have missed a few so need to do as many as possible to qualify for the championship because a minimum of 7 races is needed to be run.


The BUPA 10K on May 27th is also coming up as well as the British 10k on 14th July. In between that there are plenty of other 5/10k runs and I have the Henley and Windsor Half Marathons to look forward to in Autumn.

 

All of this is also in video for on YouTube.

http://youtu.be/_ZaSd-tZ5Mw



Please click on this link to donate 


http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenjaminSchiffer-Harte


Thank you in advance and hope the sun is shining wherever you are.

 

Comments

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    What happens if you don't get selected in the London ballot?
  • Hi,

    Great question.

    If I dont get through the ballot I will approach my club and see if I can get in via their ballot or finally via MNDA themselves although I would rather they make more charity money from someone else who didnt enter or couldn't get a place..

    What do you think of the blog? Last weeks is up next followed by thus weeks one.

  • Week 4 of my fundraising challenge

    Monday 6th May and I ran the Pednor 5 mile -http://www.chiltern-harriers.org.uk/pednor5/results2013.html

     

    This race started in the sunny town of Chesham and wasn't a long drive there from the Burnham area. Parking was free due to it being a Bank Holiday and a few people from the club arrived at same time so didn't have to worry about finding the start place.

    My name was already on the list due to having registered a couple of weeks ago so I grabbed my race number 126 and joined Darren, Tamsin, Adam and James (Quincey) for a nice warm up.


    Jo had company in the form of work colleague Craig, whose girlfriend Liz runs with the club and is in the faster paced group in social club training. 


    The race started at 7pm and I was in the front section alongside Darren, Tamsin and a guy called Chris who runs for the BJ's but I haven't seen him at training before. When the klaxon sounded it was a rush to get a decent place but I managed to steady myself in around 20th place.


    The 1st mile was quite gentle but as soon as the route veered to the left I saw a steep hill  that led to the 2nd mile and I was glad hill training around the Burnham Beeches and Cliveden had taken place helping me with getting used to the inclines.

    Getting to the 3rd mile the route was kinder to me due to being at top of the ridge but I didnt realise that getting to the 4th mile was going to include a few more up and downs. The good thing was I could start to see the finish area and knew a sharp descent was going to appear.


    Throughout the race two people ahead dropped behind whilst Chris and Tam used their experience to push on ahead of me. Darren had managed to find an incredible burst of energy and getting to the final 5th mile I turned a sharp corner to the finish.


    Gender position 15th, overall position 16th

    Club position 4th

    Team position 2nd - top 4 male runners from each club with lowest placing scores added.


    Being my first Burnham Joggers Club Championship run I am very pleased with my result and now have 4pts on the league.


    NIKE APP RESULTS

    My nike+ app now shows I have completed 18.4/129 km of a personal 28 day challenge and 23.4km so far in May with an average time of 4'13''/km


    Just in case people are unaware that running has featured a lot in my life (although not as heavily as it is now) I am going to list as many previous runs and times that I have achieved as I can recollect and find online.


    2006: Clapham Common 10k 39:21

    2007: Silverstone Half Marathon 1:36:34

               London Marathon 4:21:05

               New York Marathon 4:53:49

               Wimbledon Park Run 5k 20:24

               Wimbledon Park Run 5k 19:27

    2008 Wimbledon Park Run 5k 20:17

              Wimbledon Park Run 5k 19:43

              Dunstable 10k 43:03 

    2009 Silverstone Half Marathon 1:33:34

              London Marathon 4:33:08

    2010 Silverstone Half Marathon 1:39:03

              Great North Run (Half Marathon) 1:57:01

    2011 Reading Half Marathon 

  •  

    Week 5 of my fundraising challenge

    Tuesday 14th May and I ran the Wargave  5k which is the start of the Thames Valley Association of Running Clubs (TVARC) 5k series and also part of the Club Championship.

     

    I had been in a training meeting during the day for a Bentley Campaign I am working on in Exeter at the Devon County Fair- did any of you happen to go there for the day? It was in association with HR Owen who own 4 dealerships across the South including the famous Jack Barclay on Berkley Square in Mayfair.

     

    Now to start talking about running and not cars. I managed to get the fast train to Maidenhead and met Jo who like always is a saint and drove us to Cockpole Green where the race was being held. The weather was atrocious compared to 8 days ago and it was very hard to stay warm. After collecting my race number 806 which will stay with me for the rest of the 5k series, I warmed up with two fellow BJ (Burnham Joggers) runners and collected myself at the start line very close to the front.


    Jo decided to go into the local pub to stay warm  (wise choice) and was to be joined again by Craig, whose was supporting Liz 


    Darren and Tamsin were not there so I was worried I had no-one to pace with but luckily Chris Stone who finished 2nd out of our club last week was there so I managed to stay either ahead or just behind throughout the course

    The race started at 7.30pm and yet again when the klaxon sounded it was a rush to get a steady footing but I managed to hold myself in around 15th.


    The start to 1k was quite gentle with a downhill slope towards Crazies Hill and I was comfortably doing 3'19'' for 1k and then it creeped up at 2k with a nice gradual hill but then there was a nice long straight covering most of the 3rd k . It increased a lot more towards the 3 and 4k. The final 1k I managed to shave some seconds off the pace and this enabled me to stay in the top 20 right to the finish.


    Throughout the race two people overtook me whilst whilst Chris and I swapped places a lot until he surged ahead. My aim is to somehow find a burst of energy to carry me through and attack places if possible.


    Club position in this race 2nd

    My points for club is now 5 and am currently on average of 2.5 from 2 races


    NIKE APP RESULTS

    My nike+ app now shows I have completed 23.5/129 km in my personal 28 day challenge and 28.5km so far in May with an average time of 4'08''/km. No excuses for it being so little km but I was working over in East London at the Excel all week and was unable to not only get to training but to go out for a solo run.

    I am working away in Exeter this week at the Devon County Show so have packed my kit to run in the local area.

               

    FUTURE RACES

    The BUPA London 10k http://www.london10000.co.uk/ on Monday 27th May.

    My race number is 1641 and am in the front pack RED A. 

    So should be expecting a sub 40!!!


    Burnham Joggers 5k as part of the Summer Series on Tuesday 28th May

    Marlow 5k as part of the Summer Series on Tuesday 11th June

    Lord Mayors Mile on Sat 22nd June

    Maidenhead 5k as part of the Summer Series on Wednesday 25th June

    Handy Cross 5k as part of the Summer Series on Tuesday 9th July

  • Week 6 of my fundraising challenge
    This week I did not enter any competitions but did run twice with the club on our social meetings and once around my local area with housemate Lainy.

    Tuesday I ran 13.6k around the Burnham Beeches and this was at quite a quick pace with only myself, Tamsin and James Quincy in a small group. Whilst there was no added rest time for waiting for other runners (normally we run in a larger group), the chat a long the route sped up the time and was done in 59:53 with a pace of 4'24''/km 

    Thursday the club headed to Cliveden House to run around its magnificent National Trust grounds and tackled the hills. I went on a shorter run with only one hill which was very bendy indeed. 10.8kwas completed in 54:15 with a pace of 4'59''km

    Saturday I went out for a short 3.02km with Lainy around my local area in West Drayton. It was an early morning run before heading to Thorpe Park for the day. Slower pace this time 18:50 with a pace of 6'14''/km

    NIKE APP RESULTS
    My nike+ app now shows I have completed 56.1/129 km in my personal 28 day challenge and 61.1km so far in May with an average time of 4'23''/km.
    I only have 3 days left in my challenge and will aim to do another 20k.
               
    FUTURE RACES
    On Monday (if reading this on Sunday 26th this will be tomorrow) I will be running the  by Text-Enhance" href="http://benschifferharte.blogspot.co.uk/#"BUPA London 10k http://www.london10000.co.uk/ 
    My race number is 1641 and am in the front pack RED A. 
    So should be expecting a sub 40!!!

    The Burnham Joggers 5k as part of the Summer Series on Tuesday 28th May may also be ran but as this is a HOME event the club runners are expected to help out. if there are enough people assisting with stewarding I may be able to run it.

  • Week 7 of my fundraising challenge

    This was an amazing week for me PB wise. I ran the BUPA 10,000 which started and finished on the Mall. Jo and Lori came to support me and it was a tough race on a hot day.


    I was race number is 1641 and started in the RED A which was just behind Mo Farrah and all of the Elite and Top club runners aiming for sub 33. The pens that ensured each wave went off smoothly was well organised and it helped me get into a rhythm with my pace.


    As the claxon went off I found myself running faster than I planned and got to the 1km point by Whitehall in 3'08''. The 2km mark in 3'10'' was just by Embankment and that was where the crowds gathered along the Thames. I seemed to slow up slightly getting towards the 3km point with 3'55'' and then as it went towards the south side of St Paul's Cathedral I could feel the heat which was early twenties and hit the 4km mark in 4'06''.


    Knowing the 5km point was up next I ran quicker through Leadenhall Market and passed half way in 3'43''. Going up Cannon St towards the 6km  by Mansion House Station I got there in 3'55'' and heading back along the Thames by Blackfriars Bridge I hit the 7km point in 3'44''. 


    Both the 8km and 9km points were ran in 4'00'' so I knew I was slowing down and this took me past Embankment Bridge right through to Westminster. Knowing I was approaching my goal of sub 40 min I pushed on and ran as hard as I could past the Horse Guard Parade and left onto the Mall where the cheering was loud and spurred me on to the finish line. I crossed the 10k line in 3'47''.


    Total distance ran 10k. Time 38'57'' Average pace 3'54''/km


    I was exhausted but managed to keep walking and met Jo and Lori where I had a stretch and then treated them both to lunch at my old pub I worked for in Holborn.


    Wednesday I ran with Jo's housemate Sarah on a 4k run around the Taplow area in 23'04. Average pace 5'45''/km


    Saturday I went out for a 8km with Lainy around West Drayton and took in the canal as well. It was an early morning run and although a slow pace it was a nice distance for both of us. 

    Time 53'35'' with a pace of 6'41''/km


    Sunday I went out for an 10k run with a very good pace especially in the heat. I went towards the same roads that the Burnham Joggers ran and luckily had some shade along the way. 

    Time 41'06'' with a pace of 4'06''/km


    NIKE APP RESULTS

    My nike+ app now shows I completed 75.1k in May and I aim to do 100+ in June  

    FUTURE RACES

    I have signed up to three 10k races over next few months. The British 10k on 14th July, the Datchet Dash 10k on 20th July and the Wooburn Park 10k on 8th Sept - the latter two forming part of Club Championship.

     

  • Week 8 of my fundraising challenge
    This week I only managed to go out three times due to work commitments although on Tuesday I ran 18.4km from Ascot to the A4 Bath Road.

    The reason for the long distance was because I had a meeting with an agency in the morning and decided to run back. It was 12.30pm by the time I left and the sun was high. Following a route I took from Google Maps it lead me via the west of Windsor and towards Fifield which is south out Dorney. It had many different turns and one of the roads was just under 4k long. I came to the final leg of my run at Bray Marina which had me crossing the Thames and going via the Dorney Lake towards Eton and finished at the J Sainsbury's Burnham where I brought lunch.

    Total distance ran 18.4k. Time 1'31''40'' Average pace 4'57''/km

    It was hot but I ran a lot slower than usual and the legs managed to get a long run out.

    That evening I also went to Burnham Joggers for training and didn't measure the time or distance because I took things slow and it included a lot of stop starts due to the club working out a Mile distance for the Lord Mayors Mile on 21st June.

    Today I ran very early in the morning before working in Reading and managed b around the West Drayton area in 18'27''. Average pace 4'53''/km

    NIKE APP RESULTS
    My nike+ app now shows I have completed 40.3k in June.
               
    FUTURE RACES
    Marlow 5k 11th June
    Lord Mayor's Mile 21st June
    British 10k on 14th July
    Datchet Dash 10k 20th July 
    Wooburn Park 10k on 8th Sept 


    MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS BLOG
    Remember  I am doing this blog to raise awareness and money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and have set up and fundraising page on the virgin money giving site.
    Jo's grandad was a hugely popular figure in the local community hence why I am pleased a lot of the running is taking place in areas he knew well.

    Total £110 plus £27.50 Gift Aid.

    For anyone wishing to donate please go to the donation page below.

    http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenjaminSchiffer-Harte
  • Week 9 of my fundraising challenge
    This week was a very busy one for me and managed 4 days of running including finishing in top 10 of a 5k race.
    Previous to the race I had asked Iwan Thomas the Welsh and GB Former Olympian for advice and although his PB for the 5k (not his competitive distance) is 19:18 he did say 'Steady all the way then dig deep.


    Run 1
    Tuesday 11th I ran in the Marlow 5k which part of the TVARC Summer Series and is the 3rd race from 6. Previously I ran the 1st race at Wargrave and finished 14th place with a time of 18:50. 

    The race was nice and flat and the weather was also good although it had threatened to rain all day. Marc Grover and James Marshall warmed up with me and it took us up to the 4k marker. This was a good spot because it gave us an idea of how far the finish line was.

    At the start of the race I stayed in with the 2nd pack of runners and noticed about 10 in front. Chris Rose who is my main competition from the club was running closely behind and I did the 1st km in3:32. This is quick for me and I managed to maintain a steady 3:39 pace across the entire race (great advice from Iwan Thomas).
    After the 1 km marker I saw Chris overtake me but instead of trying to catch up I allowed him and a runner from Maidenhead to act as pacemakers and it wasn't until the 3 km marker where I managed to overtake them both and plough onward to the finish.

    When the 4 km marker appeared I knew I had to dig deep at the same pace if not quicker and I pushed all the way to gain a final pace of 3:30 for the last km. At the finish line Jo and her dad who also came along were there to congratulate me but I was blowing out my backside and I am looking forward to receiving my final standings which should be in a week.

    Total distance ran 5k. Time 18:15. Average pace 3'39''/km

    Run 2
    This was a Burnham Joggers night on Thursday and we went to Cliveden House for hill work. It was a lovely evening and managed to get 14.4km and tackled two of the toughest hills alongside Tamsin and James Quincy. 

    Total distance ran 14.4km. Time 1:08:54. Average pace 4'46''/km

    Run 3
    Saturday I went for an early morning jog before work with my brand new trainers the 'Reebok Reflex Speed' in bright orange so can't be missed in a race. They are slightly heavier than my Vibram Merrills but the cushioning will help on the road especially long distances.

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/v/p480x480/975386_10151531506953462_1347526299_n.jpg?oh=b7dd64016ddfe0c688a652d0abb05048&oe=51C135CE&__gda__=1371639755_3c3d9e8a530a1a590e5823285028786c

       

    Total distance ran  4.04km. Time 17:14. Average pace 4'16''/km

    Run 4
    After not running a lot last week I decided to go all out and run for a 4th time. Jo went Dragon Boat Paddling at Bray Lake and I went for a 10k run along the Thames to Maidenhead and back

  • Run 4
    After not running a lot last week I decided to go all out and run for a 4th time. Jo went Dragon Boat Paddling at Bray Lake and I went for a 10k run along the Thames to Maidenhead and back through Bray past the famous Fat Duck restaurant and up to the Bray Marina.
    The ground on parts of the Thames route is unstable and it took a while to get going but back on the flat surface I went quicker.

    Total distance ran  10.01km. Time 46:24. Average pace 4'34''/km

    NIKE APP RESULTS
    My nike+ app now shows I have completed 74k in June.
               
    FUTURE RACES
    Lord Mayor's Mile 21st June - Club Championship Event
    Handy Cross 5k on 9th July
    British 10k on 14th July
    Datchet Dashers 5k on 16th July
    Datchet Dash 10k 20th July 
    Wooburn Park 10k on 8th Sept 

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1004036_10151527119398462_929157086_n.jpg




    For anyone wishing to donate please go to the donation page below.

     

     

    http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenjaminSchiffer-Harte
  • MNDA Challenge Week 10   Week 10 of my fundraising challenge

    This week I experienced the roller coaster life of a runner this week with both reaching a high and low point.
    On Friday I won the Lord Mayors Mile race between only club members and guest from Burnham Joggers and was handed a trophy plus a bottle of wine.
    On Saturday only a matter of 14 hours later I dropped out after 2k or a 5k ParkRun due to overkill and breathing issues.

    However on Sunday I bounced back and ran 10k along the Thames in Central London with my mate Dan who I've known a few years and kept each other up to date with training schedules.

    Run 1
    Tuesday 18th was a nice 15km club social jog across the Burnham Beeches and I used this to get to know my new trainers a lot better with both tarmac and woodland terrain to contend with.

    Total distance ran 15k. Time 1:07:13. Average pace 4'28''/km

    Run 2
    This was the Burnham Joggers Annual Lord Mayors Mile on Friday 21st with a BBQ at the finish to celebrate.
    Having never ran a mile race before I didn't know what to expect. Chris Rose, Marc Grover, Liz Bennett, Jenny Zaremba, Mick Driver, Martine Thompson, John Irwin, Lee Norcott and many more were there as well running. Thank you to Phil Bickley, Patricia Keene, Nick Cole and a few others as well were there to ensure gates were open, correct times were taken and the BBQ was a hit.

    I got my number from the finish line and made it to the start with about 6/7 mins to go. There was a lot of expectation on me to do well and it was nice to go into a race as a favourite. 

    From the 3,2,1 I pushed off in front and stayed there right through to the end. It was a 1st place finish for me and another Club Championship race completed with 1 point.

    Total distance ran 1Mile. Time 5:10

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1016843_10151546566478462_464780988_n.jpg

  • https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1010240_552857844776295_314208748_n.jpg

     

    Above are winners from the Lord Mayor's Mile

    Run 3
    Saturday I joined a few others at Black Park for what should have been a basic 5k race. Marc Grover gave me a lift and I had a nice warm up but the evening before must have taken it out of me because after leading the race for the 1st km and lagging in 6th place towards the 2nd km I had issues breathing and decided rather than do myself an injury I dropped out.

    I was a bit bummed out by it but the lesson learnt is not to do so much or if I do want to run so soon I should start off at a slower pace and speed up if able to.

    Well done to Marc and his wife who both ran as well as a few others from the club.

     


    Run 4
    After not completing the race yesterday I was glad of getting a decent run out and this time with my mate Dan Hodson-Walker who I have known a few years after meeting at the Great North Run. 
    We started at the London Eye and ran towards Battersea Park. Did almost a full circle of the outter section and finished the remaining 2k of the 10k jog on the North bank side.

    Total distance ran  10km. Time 50:12. Average pace 5.01''/km

    NIKE APP RESULTS
    My nike+ app now shows I have completed 99k in June.
               
    FUTURE RACES
    Maidenhead 5k on 26th June
    Handy Cross 5k on 9th July
    British 10k on 14th July - My race number is  20667
    Datchet Dashers 5k on 16th July
    Datchet Dash 10k 20th July 
    Wooburn Park 10k on 8th Sept 


    MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS BLOG
    Remember  I am doing this blog to raise awareness and money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and have set up and fundraising page on the virgin money giving site.
    Jo's grandad was a hugely popular figure in the local community hence why I am pleased a lot of the running is taking place in areas he knew well.

     
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jh-Sb64NQs/UchdNqz5YWI/AAAAAAAAAIg/s0alpdCnYQ8/s320/IMG_3537%5B1%5D.PNG

     



    For anyone wishing to donate please go to the donation page below.

     

     

    http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BenjaminSchiffer-Harte
  • Week 11 of my fundraising challenge

    Now we are over a 5th of the way through in my 52 week challenge I would like to say thank you to everyone following my blogs both on here and YouTube.

    This week I took part in the 4th race of the Summer Series 5k held by Maidenhead AC and  also went out on the wet Thursday evening and sunny Sunday morning.

    Run 1

    Wednesday 26th was the Summer Series 5k, held at Maidenhead Athletics Club. I was brimming with confidence after coming 10th at the last meeting two weeks ago and was aiming to break the 18:00 barrier.


    At the beginning I started very quickly and kept up with the 3rd and 4th runners all the way through to the 2k point. By then I had ran the first two km in 3:16 and 3:27 respectively. 

    There was no incline but I was starting to feel the pressure when 3rd place went off ahead and 4th place was starting to stretch out as well. By 3k (3:50) I was going through the motions but running slower than I have done in a 5k. At the 4k mark I was still in a strong position for a top 5 finish but my legs began to get heavy and I was at a 3:58 split.


    The final km was tough and it pained me to see at least 6 runners go at a faster pace past me. I was heading for a sub 18:00 run and could feel the time getting slower by the second. Finally I turned the last corner into the home stretch and saw Chris Rose go past me which meant I would end up 2nd out of the Burnham Joggers. I didn't care as long as I finished. I did finish but without a new PB.


    Lessons learnt - Not to drink too much water before a race because it will sit in my stomach and make it harder for the blood to pump around my body and towards the muscles needed to run.

    Total distance ran 5k. Time 18:26. Average pace 3'41''/km

    Run 2

    Thursday was the Burnham Joggers social run and we went to Cliveden and tackled some of the winding hills and steep inclines.

    Even though my legs were tired from day before I managed to get a decent distance out but stopped my Nike App for about 10 minutes accidently meaning only 11.3k showed instead of about 13.

    Total distance ran 11.3k. Time 59:18 Average pace 5'13/km

    Run 3

    Sunday I was in Wiltshire where my parents live and luckily I am close to the Kennet and Avon Canal. Instead of going towards Bath, which I did last time around, I ran towards Devizes and within 5k I had almost reached the Caen Hill Locks before turning around to go back on myself.


    The morning was nice and peaceful and there were some people out on the boats decorating and enjoying breakfast.


    Total distance ran 10k. Time 43:22 Average pace 4'20/km

    NIKE APP RESULTS

    My nike+ app now shows I completed 125k in June. MY HIGHEST RESULT TO DATE

     

  • Week 12 of my fundraising challenge


    This week was a blip for me in terms of running. I did however visit the Maidenhead Athletics Track with some of those from Burnham Joggers for speed session.


    We ran 8x400m around the track with 200m rest in between each 400m. This will hopefully help to increase speed when needed.

    The aim of the session is to start off slowly and build up the pace, allowing the muscles to get used to the short bursts of running. Hopefully when I run a 5 or 10k I can use this to my advantage when heading to the finish line.

     

  • Week 13 of my fundraising challenge

    A much busier week than last and I managed 39k within 4 runs ending with the British 10k on Sunday 14th July.


    Run 1

    This was the 5th 5k of the Summer Series and my 4th (didn't do Burnham Joggers race due to being a steward for it). The weather is very hot at the moment and I took sips of water throughout the day to ensure I was hydrated. 

    The race was hosted by Handy Cross Runners at The Rye in Wycombe and this beautiful location made it an excellent route for a race. I had finished quite high in the past 3 races but also suffered sickness after the last two due to over hydration. This I combated and it helped immensely. I started slower than previously and kept about top 20 place. Chris Rose, my main club rival overtook me just before the 1k mark and it stayed that way right until near the finish. I held a steady pace between 1-3k and hit the 4k mark at 15 mins.

    The final 400m was in sight and because I had kept on Chris's back the whole way round, I was able to pass him and kick on for a strong finish. I hit my fastest km with 3'21''.


    Result. 1st BJ Runner back and possibly top 15

    Nike App Result. Distance: 5.04km Time: 18:32 Avg Pace: 3'40''


    Run 2

    I decided to go out for a medium paced jog in the West Drayton and Heathrow area. This took in the A4 and I crosses the M4 twice. 

    The fastest km I did was 4'20'' and the slowest was 4'47''


    Nike App Result. Distance: 10km Time: 45:27 Avg Pace: 4'32''


    Run 3

    The longest run on the week and also the slowest. This was with the Burnham Joggers throughout Cliveden which took in one winding hill challenge. 

    The temperature was still high for an evening run and I wanted to use this as a final training run for Sundays British 10k. 


    Nike App Result. Distance: 14km Time: 1:07:29 Avg Pace: 4'49''

  • Run 4

    Finally all of the training these past few weeks has accumulated together in preparing myself for today's race.


    Being a 9:35 start at Hyde Park Corner, Jo and I had to be up early to travel on the first train of the day and head to Whitehall where all the runners had to walk up to the start line. It was warm at 9:00 and the start line was already packed with runners. Knowing that there were no pens to hold different paced runners in, I had to push my way towards the front. I was shocked at how many people were aiming for a slow time yet seemed to be close to the start and this would impede those wishing for a clean getaway.

     

    15 mins late and after some live singing from Katrina (and the Waves) plus speeches from the Lord Mayor of Westminster and the Race Director, the race finally got underway. 

    The 1st km (4'10'') I spent pushing my way towards the front and was annoyed at how many people were slowly jogging and not caring if they were in the wa of those wanting to post a good time. Yes I do realise its a huge race with lots of fundraisers but that is why you position yourself in a more comfortable start place. 

    From the 1-5k mark, I cut my avg pace down to  3'40'' and this also brought my race position down to 86th, I slowed down from 6-8k  but managed to cut the field down to 74th place. Crossing the Westminster Bridge, I knew I had just under 2k to go and and kicked on to cross the line strongly.


    Nike App Result. Distance: 10km Time: 39:43 b 3'58''

    Official British 10k results: Chip Time: 39:45 Gun Time: 40:08  

    Gender position 56th Chip position 61st Gun Position 58th

     

    I was the first runner back for Motor Neurone Disease Association and although it wasn't a PB I am so pleased with my result. I did check the result last night (15th July) which has since been amended but here is a photo of what the official results look like.

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgOyBSBhQr0/UeT7KdkSAOI/AAAAAAAAAJI/t7CNs2b2IaM/s320/British+10k+results.png

     


    Nest week will be a busy one with work and getting ready for my Summer role as Drama Director at Eton College Summer Schools but I am to complete the final 5k of the Summer Series and also the Datchet Dash 10k

  • MNDA Challenge Week 14   Week 14 of my fundraising challenge

    A new 10k PB and only within 6 days of my previous 10k run.
    In what seems to be the hottest few weeks of the year and indeed my running, I have managed to push further and break boundaries I never thought possible. Last week I ran the British 10k in considerably hot weather and packed race conditions, yet I managed to kick all the way to the end with a respectable time of 39:45. 

    This week I ran the Datchet Dash and luckily with it being slightly cooler to start with, I was able to not only post a new PB 38:33 but also finished 20th from 750 and 1st in the Burnham Joggers Club which is also a Club Championship race.

    Tuesday I couldn't make the final 5k of the Summer Series which I was gutted about especially as I had W2 L2 against Chris and was getting used to the other clubs runners as well. My aim next year is to hit the top 5 and post a top 3 position at least once if not more.

    Run 1
    A warm jog in the hills of the Cliveden National Trust forests and only one hill was tackled. Quite a few of the group stuck close together and it gave me a chance to chat to some of them includingLucy who I now admire even more because her and her partner hardly see each other through his job in the Navy in Cornwall yet they have managed to find the time to gain a mortgage on a property and are using time together to decorate the place.
    It was also nice to catch up with Tamsin who had cheered me on with Darren last week at Handy Cross. A young runner Donald, whose Dad also runs with the club is an impressive youngster and kept up with me whilst going up the hill without stopping to catch a breath.

    Nike App Result. Distance: 13 km Time: 1:04:29 Avg Pace: 4'57''

    Run 2
    This was the race I had been waiting for since I heard about it. The Dorney Dash 10k is hosted by the Datchet Dashers Running Club and held at Dorney Boat Club, using Dorney Lake (home to the Summer Games last year) as the route.
    Once being dropped off by Jo, who had to go and start her Summer Schools job at Eton College, I met up with other Burnham Joggers and started preparing for the race.
    It was nice to see how many other clubs were there (over 90 represented clubs) and there was alsoJAWS (Joggers and Wheelers) celebrating their 30th Anniversary so had the numbers 1-30 on their running vests.

    Chris Rose and Pete Walker were at the race and this gave me some people to challenge and also pace against. The race organisers had kitted out pacemakers to assist those who wanted a rough pace time 40,50,55 and 60 mins.

    At the start I let Chris go on ahead and kept an eye on his progress. I ran 1k the fastest, based on the Nike+ app in 3'34'' and this was a nice piece of flat road winding its way to the far end of the Lake and towards the 2k point in which I reached in 3'46''. A drinks station was ahead but I didn't take a drink this time as I wanted to concentrate on catching up with Chris and making a challenge. At around 3k, which I made in 3'45''  I caught up with Chris and stayed with him for a few hundred metres. With the extra energy stored from not starting off too quickly I pushed on ahead. The race was heading back towards the boat house and was straight but over some bridges
  • Week 14 continued

    ..... as well and I reached the 4k point in 3'59''. This was also the same time as 5k, in which I picked up a cup of water and splashed myself down for coolness rather than thirst.

    The race had completed a large loop and was now on the beginning part again. At the 6k point I managed it a lot quicker in 3'47'' and found the heat picking up which seemed to affect my speed. At 7k I did it in 3'54'' and knew that having a second drink and going around the last part of the lake, meant that it was going to be the home straight.
    8k came slightly quicker at 3'49'' and the final stretch to 9k was 3'53''.

    Then the unfortunate happened and my phone armband came off about 300m away from the finish and as I called out in dismay I heard Patricia shout- just run. She stopped it for me when I crossed the line and this only made a small difference to the actual result.

    The results came in pretty quick but I was just pleased to finish and also get 1st place in the club points.

    Nike App Result. Distance: 9.96km Time: 39:03 Avg Pace: 3'54''
    Actual result. Distance: 10km Time: 38:33 
    Position 20th Club position 1st Team Result 1st

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Nrz18yatZ0/Ue7YQvneXOI/AAAAAAAAAJY/Cj144gfIe-Q/s640/Dorney+Dash+Results+2013.png



    The next few weeks I will be working at Eton College but aim to get out and run along the Jubilee River to help my half marathon training.
    FUTURE RACES
    Helpers Half Marathon (Burnham Joggers) 11th August
    Wooburn Park 10k on 8th Sept 
    London Zoo 10k on 15th Sept
    Windsor Half Marathon 29th Sept
    Henley Half Marathon 13th Oct

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